Lesya Oryshchyn worked abroad for a long time, raised her son Viktor, and was friends with a neighbor and her two sons – Mykhailo and Nikita. When the coronavirus pandemic began in Ukraine, a neighbor fell ill, went to the hospital and asked Lesya to look after her children.
Despite all the doctors’ efforts to help Olena, it was not possible to save her. Then the question arose – with whom the children will be.
“We were not close friends, we were just good neighbors. Olena once told me her story that Nikita is her own son, and Mykhailo is a foster child, whom she took from an orphanage at a very young age. She often told me what health problems Mykhailika faced then, and how she overcame them. We liked to talk, we had good relations as neighbors,” says Lesya Oryshchak.
When the neighbor fell ill and despite all the efforts of the doctors, it was not possible to save her, the question arose – with whom the children would be. Their grandmother died right after their mother, they had no father. Then Lesya did not hesitate and decided that she would become their foster mother.
“For some reason, I had no doubts whether to take them to myself. I felt it was right. These children grew up before my eyes, often came to visit me. Mykhailo really liked to eat my borscht, he constantly ran to me. Once he even said that he wanted to live with me, and I laughed then and explained that he has his mother, who loves him very much,” says Ms. Lesya.
Lesya started the process of creating a foster family. It was necessary to take appropriate courses and prepare documents. In the “Service for Children” department, she was supported in every way in this and facilitated at all stages.
The boys also fell in love with Lesya and accepted her decision to become their adoptive mother with great joy. At that time, Nikita was 17, and Mykhailik was 9. Lesya’s own son Viktor, who was an adult and lived separately, supported Lesya’s decision, and her mother supported her.
“My mother looked at me and said that she would never have thought that I would dare to take such a step. She told me then that it was a very noble decision,” recalls Lesya Oryshchak
Nikita is currently a student at a music college, graduating this year, and Mykhailo is a schoolboy who loves music, plays the violin, attends vocal classes, and dreams of becoming an actor.
“My golden child is my Mykhailo. He loves people so much, and people love him. Kind, gifted. I remember, after a few months, after they moved, he came up to me and said: “May I call you Lesya’s mother?”. I had tears in my eyes. I said that it would be the greatest pleasure in the world for me.
Nikita is an adult and very serious young man. In the future, he plans to master the field of IT. Has many dreams and plans. I fully support him in his intentions. I want them to come true,” Lesya’s adoptive mother shares her plans.
Ms. Oryshchak fully devoted her time to raising the boys: school, clubs, children’s birthday parties. She says that her life seems to have acquired another meaning.
It is important to note that foster families are not alone in the problems that may arise.
“An employee of the Children’s Service and the Lviv City Center of Social Services are constantly in touch with them,” says Acting Director. the head of the Department “Service for Children! Volodymyr Frydrak.